Firearm support

ABSTRACT

Firearm support for steadying a firearm during field and target shooting. Features include a pointed shaft having a firearm support member slidably mounted thereon. The latter has a firearm support surface and can be swung from a position in which the support surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaft to a raised position. Friction devices on the support member grip the shaft when the support surface is at the right angled position to prevent movement of the support member axially of the shaft. Raising the support member disengages the friction means to permit axial movement of the support member along the shaft. Adjustable damping devices restrict axial movement on the shaft. A hand grip and a special locking device lock the support member in the raised position.

United States Patent [72] inventor George T. Glebe 785 Fetters MillRoad, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

[21] Appl. No. 835,950

[22] Filed June 24, 1969 [45] Patented June 15, 1971 [54] FIREARMSUPPORT 4 Claims,4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 248/156, 248/410 [51 1 Int. Cl A45f 3/44 [50] Field ofSearch 248/156, 155, 155.1, 155.2,158, 161, 371, 407, 408, 409, 410

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 77,676 5/1868 Swett 248/410758,015 4/1904 Miller.. 248/156 989,386 4/1911 Miller.. 248/1561,112,732 10/1914 Uhl 248/409 Primary ExaminerMarion Parsons, Jr.Attorney Synnestvedt & Lechner ABSTRACT: Firearm support for steadying afirearm during field and target shooting. Features include a pointedshaft having a firearm support member slidably mounted thereon. Thelatter has a firearm support surface and can be swung from a position inwhich the support surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaftto a raised position. Friction devices on the support member grip theshaft when the support surface is at the right angled position toprevent movement of the support member axially of the shaft. Raising thesupport member disengages the friction means to permit axial movement ofthe support member along the shaft. Adjustable damping devices restrictaxial movement on the shaft. A hand grip and a special locking devicelock the support member in the raised position.

PATENTEU JUN 1 5 I971 SHEEY 2 OF 2 nvvmv'rrm. B'arya T 6/125:

6 A 'rmamlcv FIREARM SUPPORT This invention relates to a support, andmore particularly to a device used for supporting an instrument orarticle such as for supporting the barrel of a rifle, handgun or thelike in order to steady the weapon during field or target shooting.

A special feature of the invention lies in the provision of anadjustable device which can be used to support a firearm at the requiredheight while firing, thereby providing for steadier and more accurateaiming. The device is designed so that when not being used as a support,it is quickly and easily convertible into a walking or hiking stick.

Although firearm supports of various kinds have been available from timeto time, these have not possessed the facility for ready adjustment oncethe shooter has assumed the required position. Thus, when he gets intoposition, takes aim and prepares to fire, the position of the target maynot be where the shooter estimated it to be, and with these known priordevices he must get out of position, adjust the support and then resumehis shooting position. All devices of this kind of which I am aware areones which provide a support mounted on a shaft and held in axialposition along the shaft by means of a hand tightened wing nut or othermechanical fastening device.

Among the important objects of the invention is the provision of afirearm support which is readily convertible into a walking or hikingstick.

Another important object of the invention lies in the provision of ashooter's support which is readily and rapidly adjustable to therequired position, both vertically and laterally, by the touch of thehand or by the application of slight pressure with the barrel of thefirearm.

A related object of the invention is the provision of a shooter'ssupport which can be easily adjusted to the required position from thesitting, kneeling, or prone shooting positions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a firearmsupport which is simple to use and manufacture, has a minimum of movingparts, and is settable in the desired position without the need formechanical adjustments.

According to the invention, the various objects noted above, as well asothers implicit in the disclosure, are achieved by a laterally extendingfirearm support member mounted on a shaft having a sharpened point sothat it can be pressed into the ground. The support member is fashionedso that in one position the shaft nests within a groove runninglengthwise of the support. The support member has the facility ofswinging movement to a lateral or horizontal position relative to theshaft, and axial movement along the shaft to the desired position.Frictional gripping devices on the support member are so arranged thatwhen the support member is in the laterally swung position, they clampthe support member on the shaft. Raising of the support member away fromthe laterally swung position, as by swinging it upwardly slightly withthe barrel of the rifle, releases the grip of the frictional devices andallows for axial adjustment to whatever desired position the shooterselects. Damping screws on the support member are constantly inengagement with the shaft and control the rate of axial movement alongthe shaft.

Turning now to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, referencewill be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I shows the device with the support in the retracted position;

FIG. 2 shows device in the position in which the support is adapted tosupport a firearm;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view with portions of the structurebroken away for clarity, and further showing the support twice; one inbroken lines and again in full lines for illustrative purposes; and

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view on the same scale as F [67 3.

Attention is first directed to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown therein, theillustrative form of the device comprises a shaft l which is typicallyformed of tubular steel or like material and which is provided with amachined spike 11 secured to the lower end as by swaging or the like.The upper end of the shaft is provided with a cap 12 which may be pressfitted into the open end of the shaft. A threaded opening 13 is locatedin the cap 12 for purposes which will become apparent hereinafter.

A support member or slide 14 which functions to support the barrel of arifle at any desired position is provided on the shaft. Support memberor slide 14, also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is preferably cast of aluminumor similar material and is provided with a depression 15 runninglengthwise thereof. The slide is formed so that it can be moved up tothe top of the shaft and then swung upwardly against the shaft, as shownin FIG. 1, and in this position the end of the shaft fits or nestswithin the depression. The end portion 16 of the slide fits against theend of the shaft when the shaft is nested within the depression in orderto restrain relative movement of the slide along the shaft.

I prefer to use a suitable hand grip or knob 17 on the end of the slideas can be seen in the drawings, especially FIGS. 3 and 4. A screw orother fastener 18 is fixed within knob 17 and fits through a hole 19 inthe end 16 of the slide.

The fastener in the hand grip thus serves to lock the parts in nestedrelationship when the device is not in use, thus allowing it to serve asa walking stick when desired. When the hand grip 17 is rotated tounscrew the fastener 18 from the cap 12, the slide is then free to belaterally swung relatively to the shaft into rifle-supporting position.The barrel of the rifle or other firearm is intended to be supportedduring aiming on a firearm support surface 20 which is preferablyprovided with a protective layer of a plastic, rubber or like materialin order to prevent scratching or other damage to the barrel of thefirearm.

A straplike retainer portion 22 is formed integrally with the slide atthe end opposite the hand grip 17. Retainer portion 22 extends aroundthe shaft 10 and as can be best seen upon reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, itis both laterally displaced from and raised with respect to the terminalportion 23 of the depression 15, so that both swinging movement andthereafter sliding movement with respect to the shaft are permitted whenthe slide is laterally swung as illustrated in FIG. 3.

An important feature of the invention lies in the provision of means forreleasably holding the slide at any desired position along the shaft.Preferably, this means comprises frictional or clamping devices whichare located at the terminus of the depression 15 and in the wall of theretainer portion 22. Although a variety of frictional materials can beused, I prefer to employ setscrews 25 and 26 which are secured in holesdrilled in the slide. In carrying out this aspect of the invention, theholes are located so that the threads of the setscrews project into theopening through which the shaft fits so that they contact the shaft 10when the slide is in the laterally swung position. It can be seen thatthe weight of the slide including the hand grip, plus downward pressureapplied by the barrel of the rifle causes the screws 25 and 26 to biteinto the walls of the shaft, thus, in effect, clamping or gripping theslide on the shaft, no matter how much pressure is applied.Nevertheless, when the slide is pivoted slightly with respect to theshaft, as by lifting with the barrel of a firearm as is illustrated inphantom lines in FIG. 3, the frictional devices are easily disengagedfrom the shaft sidewalls and the slide is free to move up and down theshaft.

Preferably, three point contact of the frictional devices on the shaftis employed, as can be best seen in FIG. 4, as by this arrangementwobbling of the slide of the shaft is eliminated.

In practice, it has been found that damping means should be employed inorder to retard slippage of the support member along the shaft when thefrictional gripping devices 25 and 26 are not pressed against the shaftas well as to prevent uncontrolled bouncing between the top and bottomfriction points. For this purpose, according to the preferred form ofthe invention, I provide a pair of screws 27 which are threaded intotransversely extending diametrically opposed openings in the supportmember at points located slightly offset with respect to the centerlineof the shaft 10. These screws are provided with tips of rubber or othermaterial having a relatively high coefficient of friction and the tipsof these screws press into engagement with the shaft with the desiredamount of pressure by advancing the screws 27. The amount of pressureapplied by these tips can be adjusted by the sportsman and will varywith individual desires, with the amount of moisture on the shaft andlike considerations. As a generality, it might be said that when thefrictional devices 25 and 27 are out of engagement with the shaft, thetips should permit the support member to move slowly down the shaft.

It should be noted that even though one damping screw would worksatisfactorily, the slide may be positioned on either side of the shaftand the single damping screws would thus, at times, be inaccessible.Accordingly, for convenience and speed of operation, as indicated above,the preferred form of the invention envisages the use of two dampingscrews.

The reason for the slight offset with respect to the shaft centerlinewill be best appreciate if it is considered that the screws are notintended to hold the slide, but to restrict uncontrolled motion. Withthe tips 28 just forward of center, that is, on the same side as theknob of the slide, lifting of the slide decreases the pressure appliedby the tips and with about a twenty degree lift of the slide, the tipsare clear of the shaft and the slide can unrestrictedly move.

In use, as should be apparent from the above explanation of thestructure, the shooter presses the pointed end of the shaft into theground and unscrews fastener 18 from the cap 12 by rotating the handgrip 17. The slide is then swung down with respect to the shaft and maybe set by the shooter by pivoting it slightly to release the frictionaldevices and then moving it axially of the shaft by hand into theapproximate position desired. Thereafter, when he has assumed theshooting position and desires to shift the slide axially of the shaft,he lifts the slide gently with the barrel of his weapon, as can be seenin the phantom line view in the upper part of FIG. 3. This releases thegripping devices 25 and 26 and when the slide is so lifted, it can beraised or allowed to slip downwardly as desired. As indicated above, thedamping screws 27 control the rate of slippage along the shaft, therebypreventing sudden movements. When the slide is at the desired height,the shooter merely stops pressing on it and its own weight instantlylocks the slide in position on the shaft. Thereafter, when the barrel orforearm is rested on the support surface 20, the weight of the barrel orforearm presses the gripping devices more tightly against the shaft.

From the foregoing, it should be evident that l have provided a supportwhich is simple in function, easy to use and applicable for use in allmanner of shooting and other sports. Due to the unique construction ofdevices formed according to the invention, the structure serves as acomfortably held walking or hiking stick when not being used as asupport. The facility for rapid adjustability is of prime importancesince the movement of game necessitates quick adjustment withoutresorting to undue body movement of the shooter.

I claim:

1. A firearm support comprising a shaft having a pointed end forpenetration of the ground, a support member mounted on said shaft havinga support surface for steadying the barrel of a firearm or the like,said support member having an opening therein through which said shaftis adapted to fit, said opening being dimensioned to allow for movementof the support member lengthwise of the shaft and further to permitswinging movement of the support member from a position in which thesupport surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaft and araised position in which the surface is at a more acute angle withrespect to the shaft, gripping means on said support member positionedon opposite sides of the shaft and adjacent thereto to grip said shaftwhen the support surface is at said right angled position therebypreventing movement of the support member relatively to the shaft and tobe moved away from the shaft when the support member is in said raisedposition, thereby permitting axial movement of the support member alongthe shaft, and damping means engageable with the shaft for retardingmovement of the support member along the shaft when the support memberis in said raised position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said damping means comprisesa pair of screws each having a tip of resilient material engageable withsaid shaft, said screws each having a handgrip for adjusting thepressure applied against said shaft by said resilient tips.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, the damping means comprising tips ofresilient material in face-to-face aligned relationship with the centerof contact of each tip on the shaft being offset with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the shaft and on the side of said axis adjacent thesupport surface.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support member has agroovelike depression running lengthwise thereof, the upper end of saidshaft being adapted to rest within the depression when the supportmember is near the top of the shaft and swung upwardly relativelythereto, means for locking the support member in the position in whichthe shaft is nested in the depression and a handgrip on the end of saidsupport member for facilitating use of the apparatus as a walking stickwhen the shaft and support member are locked in said nestedrelationship.

1. A firearm support comprising a shaft having a pointed end forpenetration of the ground, a support member mounted on said shaft havinga support surface for steadying the barrel of a firearm or the like,said support member having an opening therein through which said shaftis adapted to fit, said opening being dimensioned to allow for movementof the support member lengthwise of the shaft and further to permitswinging movement of the support member from a position in which thesupport surface is substantially at a right angle to the shaft and araised position in which the surface is at a more acute angle withrespect to the shaft, gripping means on said support member positionedon opposite sides of the shaft and adjacent thereto to grip said shaftwhen the support surface is at said right angled position therebypreventing movement of the support member relatively to the shaft and tobe moved away from the shaft when the support member is in said raisedposition, thereby permitting axial movement of the support member alongthe shaft, and damping means engageable with the shaft for retardingmovement of the support member along the shaft when the support memberis in said raised position.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid damping means comprises a pair of screws each having a tip ofresilient material engageable with said shaft, said screws each having ahandgrip for adjusting the pressure applied against said shaft by saidresilient tips.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, the damping meanscomprising tips of resilient material in face-to-face alignedrelationship with the center of contact of each tip on the shaft beingoffset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and on theside of said axis adjacent the support surface.
 4. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein said support member has a groovelike depressionrunning lengthwise thereof, the upper end of said shaft being adapted torest within the depression when the support member is near the top ofthe shaft and swung upwardly relatively thereto, means for locking thesupport member in the position in which the shaft is nested in thedepression and a handgrip on the end of said support member forfacilitating use of the apparatus as a walking stick when the shaft andsupport member are locked in said nested relationship.